British Soldiers and Identity in the Peninsular War, 1808

Soldiers of the King: British Soldiers and Identity in the Peninsular War, 1808 - 1814 by Christopher Ian Pockett A Thesis submitted to the Deparhnent of History in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Queen's University Kuipston, Ontario, Canada August, 1998 O Christopher Ian Podcett Nationai Library BiMiothèque natjonale du Canada Acquisi and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Senrices seMces bibliographiques The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distriibute or sell reproduire, prêter, distriiuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous papa or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract This thesis examines identity among the British soldiers ivho fought in the Peninsular War from 1808 - 1614. Through a study of the memoirs, diaries and letters of the soldiers, their expressions of identity - how they defined themselves, expressed their inclusion in a community or communities based on shared similarities, and expressed their differences from those who were not part of this community - are analysed. The question of identity is a central issue in current histoncal debate among British historians and this thesis is a response to some of the arguments that have been advanced. The soldiers defined themselves as Britons through their attachment to Britain, British characteriçtics, their pride in the accomplishments of the British army, and their othering of the French, Spanish and Portuguese. Despite many historians' claims that this British identity was founded on contempt or disdain for the French people and culture, the Bntish soldiers did not show this same disdain, and actually had respect for and an amicable relationship with their 'enemy.' Their contempt was saved for their allies, the Spanish and Portuguese whom they viewed as racially and socially inferior. British identity was not the only way British soldiers defined themselves, and as this thesis shows, the Irish and Scottish soldiers also had their own strong national feelings. These feelings were based on the understanding of distinct characteristics and the distinct cul tues of the Irish and Scots. Despite the multiple national identities among the soldiers, this thesis also argues that the British soldiers also identified with their profession, and felt that a distinct soldiering community existed based on the iii familial feeling within the regiments and the shared experience of the war. This soldiering community also extended to include the French soldiers. iv Acknowledgements Thank you to the staff of Massey Library at the Royal Military College of Canada, the Xational Amy Museum in London, and the British Library for their assistance. 1 would also like to thank Dr. Sandra den Otter and the Queen's School of Graduate Studies and Research whose help and support made this endeavour possible. This project exists because of the British soldiers in the Peninsular amiy who wrote the most compelling and entertaining accounts of their experiences, and 1 thank them for this. Tlianks also to the gang in the History department without whorn the Toucan would be a lonely place, and to my friends and family for their support and encouragement. My biggest debt of gratitude goes out to Amanda, wliose support and love I will always be thankful for. v Table of Contents Abs tract Acknowledgements Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: British Soldiers and British Identity Part 1: Pnde Chapter 2: British Soldiers and British Identity Part II: Prejudice Chapter 3: The Welsh, Irish, and Scots Chapter 4: The Ever-Changing Chequered Course of a Soldier's Life Conclusion Bibliography Il. Appendices Introduction In 1832, Philip Henry, the 5th Earl Stanhope, recded a conversation with Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington and commander of the British army in the fierian Peninsula after 1809. Wellington had explained: The French system of conscription brings together a fair sample of ail dasses; ours is composed of the scun of the earth - the mere scum of the earth. It is only wonderful that we should be able to make so much out of thern afterwards. The English soldiers are fellows who have aU enlisted for drink - that is the plain fact - they have ail enlisted for druik.1 It is apparent that Wellington did not think highly of the soldiers whom he led to liberate the Peninsula.2 Wellington's "mere scum of the earth. ieilows who have ail enlisted for drink" forrn the focus of this thesis. 1 will examine the reminiscences of the Peninsular War written by British soldiers in order to evaluate their expression of identity: most irnportantly, their national identity. By identity 1 mean how soldiers defined themselves and how they expressed their inclusion in a comrnunity or communities based on shared sirnilarîties, and how they expressed their difierences from those who were not part of this comrnunity. As Benedict Anderson explains, "nation-ness is the most universally legitimate value in the political life of our tirne," and a study of identity can determine the importance nationality has or had among a group of people3 The examination of the expression of 1 Philip Henry 5th Earl Stanhope. Notes on Conversations with the Duke of Wellinaton (Oxford: Oxford UP, 1888) 13-14; The Duke elaborated on his opinion of the British army, refem'ng specifically to incidents he had witnessed during his command of the army in the Iberian Peninsula: Stanhope 9, 18. 2 Although Wellington's use of the word 'soldier' referred primarily to the rank and file. when I use 'soldier' throughout this thesis I mean both the rank and file and the officers. I will use the terms 'ranks' and 'officers' when I specifically refer to them. 3 Benedict Anderson, Imaained Communities: Reflections on the Oriain and S~readof Nationalisrn (London: Verso, 3991 ) 3. national identities helps determine the power of patriotic and na tionalist feeling over the individual and sheds some light on why so many people have displayed intensely loyal feelings for their nation to the point of risking their Lves in war. It also helps to adjudicate the relative resonance and authority of other foms of identities for individuals, most notably those of region, race, status or dass, gender, and profession. There are several reasons why 1 have chosen British soldiers in this particular period for a study of national identity. Firstly, warfare had changed behveen the eighteenth century and the early nineteenth century primarily due to the ideas of the French Revolution and Napoleon, and subsequently the emergence of nationalist ideologies. Btitain's contribution to the war against France stretched from 1808 to 1814 and British forces, with the aid of Portuguese and Spanish troops as well as Spanish Guerillas, drove the French first from Portugal, then from Spain and finaily into France itself, leading to the overthrow and exile of Napoleon in 1814. Clive Emsley describes the differences between warfare in the eighteenth century and warhre in the Napoleonic period. In the eighteenth century: Wars were not ideological, and aggressive nationalism was never the driving force. hies were smail; of ten their soldiers had lit tle emo tional attachment to the country or to the governments for whom they fought and there were contingents of foreign mercenaries in the mies of many states. Campaigns consisted largely of attempting to outmanoeuvre and wear down an opponent; pitched battles were costiy even to the victor since the kind of tactics employed resulted in heavy casualties and corsequently battles were often avoided. In general Qvilians were not involved in war, unless the area in which they Lived becarne the scene of a campaign. There were exceptions and there were military men who sought ways of fighting batties which would destroy an opponent; but 'resbained' and 'limited' remain the key adjectiver. for desaibing eighteenth-centwy warfare.4 Emsley goes on to explain that the French Revolution and Napoleon changed al1 of this. The 'cmsading' ideals of the revolution brought about a "neiv intensity of warfare. .The cornmanden who sprang to the forefront in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars sought battles with the intention of annihilating their enemy. Nationalism becarne a motivating force behind the armies . Peoples rather than the mercenary armies of absolutist monarchs, marched to fight each other."5 Britain's oldest enemy, France, with its mass armies under the leadership of Napoleon, stood on the brink of total dominance of Europe, and this helled Britain's hostility.6 According to Emsley, "if there was a common experience shared by al1 Britons in the last decade of the eighteenth and the early years of the nineteenth centuries, it is to be foound less in the changes resulting from the industrial revolution and more in the dernands of tvar."7 The demands of the war are evident frorn the number of Britons involved. The army expanded from 40,000 personnel in 1793 to over 250,0000 personnel in 1813, employing an average of 3 and 4 per cent of the population during the entire war. The British army went from being regarded as a 'derelict army' in the eighteenth cenhiry to the 'envy of Europe' after the 4 Clive Ernsley. British Societv and the French Wars.

Load more